How You Can Help
There are a lot of ways for individuals to help protect the environment. Here is a list of things you can do to help. Adopt all of these practices or just a few. Every little bit helps.
In General
- Walk, bike, or carpool whenever you can
- Use reusable bottles and travel mugs
- Sign up for e-statements for bank accounts and credit cards
- Donate or recycle old electronics like cell phones and computers
- Donate old furniture to Goodwill or sell on Craigslist
At Home
- Wash your laundry in cold water
- Hang your clothes out to dry rather than using a dryer
- Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs
- Turn off unused electronics
- Unplug chargers when not in use
- Clean with eco-friendly products
- Grow your own fruits and vegetables
- Create your own compost bin
- Don’t run the dishwasher until it is full
- Turn off the water while your brushing your teeth
- Turn off the water while scrubbing dishes
- Take shorter showers
- Open curtains and blinds to use natural light for as long as you can
- Only turn lights on in rooms being used
- Use fans and open windows instead of using AC
At the Office
- Use recycled ink cartridges
- Share files for review through email or other digital means
- Edit documents online instead of printing
- Print double-sided and reduce margins
- Turn off printer when not in use
- Shut down computers at the end of each day
- Bring your own lunch in reusable containers
- Make notes on the back of scrap paper
- Turn lights off when you leave your office for more than 10 minutes
On Campus
- Purchase used text books
- Take notes on the back of scrap paper
- As professors to allow submission of assignments through email
- Unplug electronics and appliances while away for school breaks
At the Store
- Bring your own reusable shopping bags
- Buy products that use less packaging
- Buy in bulk
- Buy clothes that don’t require dry cleaning
- Buy used rather than new whenever possible
- Buy locally raised and grown meat, vegetables, and fruits